


standing with an army

by sugdensquad



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Dysfunctional Family, Family Dinners, M/M, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-07
Updated: 2016-08-07
Packaged: 2018-08-07 07:19:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7705603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugdensquad/pseuds/sugdensquad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Birthday celebrations have never exactly gone plain sailing for the Sugdens, but when you add in a spiteful Chrissie and a furiously protective Aaron and Liv, things are going to take a serious turn for the worse (or the better).</p>
            </blockquote>





	standing with an army

**Author's Note:**

> I just need to _seriously_ apologise to the anon who sent me two prompts a few months back - I've combined both your ideas into one bigger fic so I hope you don't mind! Also, thank you so much for your patience, and I hope you (and everyone else) enjoys it!
> 
> (Also, I'm aware this doesn't really fit with the canon timeline considering the current sl with Chrissie and Andy, so I set it in June for Diane's birthday so it would work better!)

It was scorching, even for June. The very air shimmered with heat, and not even the faint breeze which traveled down the length of the village was enough to dissipate some of the cloying warmth.

They had decided to have Diane’s birthday lunch outside, a chance to enjoy the warmer weather while it lasted, but Victoria’s signature trifle was already starting to melt and there was a cloud of flies buzzing above the trestle tables wobbling precariously on the uneven grass. Robert, Aaron and Liv had come round to Keeper’s Cottage earlier that day to set up, after much pleading from Victoria who gave them her biggest doe eyes by way of convincing them. Robert had complained the entire time he was piling carefully cut sandwiches onto platters, saying that it was far too hot to be doing all this and that they’d be better off inside where they could switch on some fans and cool everyone down. Victoria had slapped his arm and told him they were doing what Diane wanted, which shut him up… mostly.

Victoria had been wary of inviting her two brothers, considering the last time they had sat round a table to eat it had ended with Robert storming off. But it was Diane’s birthday and she hoped they could put their differences to one side, even if it was just for one day. That being said, it was going to be even harder this time considering Aaron, Liv and Chrissie would also be in attendance. It hardly boded well.

“Think you’ve got enough food?” Aaron joked, leaning against the kitchen counter and giving a slight raise of his eyebrow at the three worktops all covered with various dishes.

She scowled at him. “This is a proper Sugden gathering, I’ll have you know. It’s only right I should put on a good spread.”

Aaron gave her an easy smirk and pinched one of the mini-burgers she had just been about to cover with cling-film. He quickly ducked right before she smacked him across the head, laughing as he headed back outside to join Robert, Liv and Adam. She watched them through the window, Adam and Liv bickering over the gingham table cover while Aaron and Robert stood a little way back, trying not to laugh. Robert leaned in, whispering something in Aaron’s ear, and Victoria marvelled yet again at how close they seemed. It amazed her, even now, that she had never seen it before. The glances laced with meaning and intent, the brush of hands together when they crossed paths, the two of them always somehow connected, whether through touch or just looks alone. It was miraculous that they had managed to keep the affair secret for so long, really.

She balanced the two biggest platters on one arm and grabbed the jug of lemonade with her other hand, carrying them out to the table where Adam had just about managed to flatten the red and white checked cover.

“Need a hand, babe?” he asked, sunglasses slipping from his curled hair to hit off the bridge of his nose. She smiled, nodding eagerly, and asked him to fetch the glasses and cutlery so she could set them out.

“You gonna offer your help as well?” she asked, turning to face her brother who was lost in another silent exchange with Aaron. They did that a lot, Victoria had come to realise. As if most of their conversations in public went without any kind of verbal communication, all words conveyed with just a blink of the eyes or a twitch of the mouth.

He twisted when she spoke, though, giving her an exasperated look which soon fell when he realised she wasn’t going to back down.

“What do you want me to do?” he asked, blowing air up towards his floppy fringe. With the sun shining down on him, his hair was practically glowing, a golden halo which framed his smug face perfectly.

“Go get some chairs. Unless you’re happy sitting on the grass?”

His disgusted expression said it all and he quickly went back inside, muttering something under his breath which she didn’t quite catch. Vic turned her attention to Aaron who was smiling softly, mind having wandered somewhere else, and she came to stand beside him, giving his shoulder a nudge.

“You and him all right?” she asked, having never been one to beat around the bush. Aaron wouldn’t have thanked her for being cryptic.

He gave a slightly startled laugh, eyes diverted towards the kitchen window where they could just make out Robert’s back, or rather the garishly patterned shirt he was wearing, his and Liv's voices travelling through the open front door.

“Yeah. Shouldn’t we be?” he said, arms now folded across his chest. Victoria shook her head vigorously.

“No, just wanted to make sure, that’s all. It’s good, seeing the two of you happy… well, _three_ of you, actually. You deserve it.”

Aaron relaxed, shoulders dropping. “We are. Didn’t think we’d manage it, mind… thought I’d have brained him by now. Or Liv. Pretty sure she’d quite happily have smothered him with a cushion in the beginning.”

“To be honest, I’m not sure I’d have blamed her!” she joked, before her smile wavered a little. “He can be really rubbish sometimes, I know that. But I think he’s trying to be better... for you and Liv.”

“Yeah, I know. He’s doing a good job, as well. We haven’t had a row in almost a week. It’s a new record.” She knew he was only partly joking, but she smiled all the same.

“Glad to hear it,” she said, just as her attention was pulled in the direction of footsteps drawing nearer. Andy was just reaching the gate, his fingers tangled with Chrissie’s, who looked even more pristine than usual, dressed in a white shirt-dress and sandals.

“Made it just in time!” Victoria exclaimed, rushing to open the gate for them. The panic jolted through her veins, and she was keenly aware of Aaron still standing on the lawn behind her, and wondered briefly what his expression was at seeing Robert’s ex-wife.

“We’re not late, are we?” Andy asked, giving her a solid pat on the arm before his eyes drifted up towards the house where Robert and Adam were just emerging carrying a chair under each arm, Liv trailing behind them, fingers busy texting.

“No, Diane’s not here yet. We’ve just been getting everything ready.”

Victoria glanced between Andy and Robert, wondering if either of them were going to start something, but Robert’s gaze slid passed his brother, heading over to the table to drop the chairs at their rightful places, before heading back inside to get more.

_Crisis averted_ , she thought, swallowing hard.

“So, where do you want us, then?” Chrissie chimed in, doing her best to appear the perfectly polite girlfriend. Victoria didn’t buy it. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Chrissie, but there was something slick about her which didn’t sit well with Vic. And that only became more pronounced when stood next to Andy, who was every bit the farmer’s son in his checked shirt and faded jeans.

“Well... You could help me arrange the table settings, if you like?” Victoria suggested, already steering them towards the secluded patch of garden and away from Aaron who was now inching closer towards the door, evidently desperate to be back with Robert, Liv and Adam.

They made quick work of arranging all the forks, knives, spoons, plates and glasses, Chrissie taking charge immediately in order to bring everything up to her standards. Vic tried not to let it irk her, but she was already riled enough at her being in the same vicinity as Robert, far less having Diane’s birthday suddenly looking like something out of a glossy magazine.

“You needing a hand?” Andy called to Adam as he came out with another two chairs.

“Nah, mate, think we’ve got it covered,” he replied, turning his head just as Robert and Aaron appeared carrying a chair each. Andy seemed to bristle immediately, and Victoria braced herself for an argument, but the silence remained intact, if somewhat more tenuous than before.

Still, she tried to stay in the centre of their little group just in case, a human Switzerland waving a metaphorical white flag above the rest of them, promoting peace and harmony by giving all of them warm, encouraging smiles. She knew how hard it was for them all, other than Adam who almost seemed oblivious to the tension, but that didn’t mean they needed to resort to glaring daggers across the table.

“Anything else to be brought out?” Robert asked, suddenly beside her, his shadow looming across her as he leaned in so no one else could hear him.

“Just the last bits of food but Adam and Liv have got that covered,” she replied, forcing herself to sound cheerful even though she could almost feel the irritation radiating off him.

“So nothing else needs doing?” he pushed, and this time she glanced up to meet his gaze which was so intensely focused on her that she took a step back.

“Well, unless you fancy mowing the lawn, then no,” she retorted, before sighing. It wasn’t his fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was just really, bloody awkward.

Robert raised an eyebrow questioningly at her before he gave her arm a light squeeze. “We’re behaving, don’t worry. Just calm down.” His eyes had gone softer, something he only ever seemed to manage around her or Aaron.

“I just want it to go well. Diane deserves a nice, family birthday after everything she’s been through.”

“And it will be. She’ll love all this,” Robert replied, and as if by magic, Diane suddenly appeared further up the road, heels clicking as Doug chatted amiably to her, no doubt about his gardening plans or that bloody vlog of his. Vic almost squealed, and immediately started clapping for everyone to come together on the lawn. Aaron slipped in next to Robert, his other arm wrapped tightly around his little sister, while Andy and Chrissie stood on the other side of the grass, as far from them as possible. Vic forced herself not to let the worry show and put on her most brilliant smile as Diane neared Keeper’s.

“Happy birthday!” she called out just as Adam snaked an arm around her waist. She smiled as he brushed a light kiss against her ear.

“Oh, love, you didn’t need to do all this,” Diane exclaimed, letting Doug open the gate for her. Vic immediately went to her, pulling her into a hug which had them both laughing.

“We all wanted to,” she replied, looking behind her to see Robert and Andy both smiling. _Progress_ , she thought with a little relief.

They all came forwards one by one to offer a ‘happy birthday’, and Vic noted with a smile that Robert stepped forward with both Aaron and Liv, giving the young girl’s shoulder a squeeze when she offered Diane a slightly awkward hug. Inseparable, that’s what the three of them were now. She was glad her brother had found somewhere he seemed to belong. Glad they all had.

Vic ushered Diane and Doug up to the table with everyone trailing behind. “You’ve got pride of place,” she explained, pulling out the chair for Diane to sit down at the head of the table. Doug sat on her right and Vic took the seat on her left, with Adam coming to sit next to her. She wondered for a moment how everyone else would arrange themselves, but in the end all potential arguments were avoided. Adam gestured for Liv to sit next to him, and Robert slipped in beside her followed by Aaron, while Andy and Chrissie positioned themselves on the opposite side next to Doug. Vic tried not to think too hard about the obvious battle lines that had been drawn, instead encouraging everyone to get stuck in to the lunch.

“Who’d have thought I’d see you all round a table together. Best present I could have asked for,” Diane said as Adam was pouring her another of Vic’s signature cocktails. Robert seemed to bristle a little but quickly masked it with a smile, while Andy raised his glass in a toast.

“To family and friends, eh?”

“Family and friends,” they all chorused, and Vic gave Robert a side-glance, recognising the familiar tightening of his jaw. She wanted to reach across and place a comforting hand on his knee but realised Aaron had been one step ahead of her, Robert already relaxing into his touch.

The small talk resumed immediately, and Diane paid particular attention to Liv, asking her about school and hobbies. Vic had always seen the similarities between her and her brother, but now it was almost like she was seeing a younger version of Aaron, the female counterpart of the boy Vic had known from her teenage years. They were both reserved, both tensed as if ready to bolt, and Liv visibly shrunk into herself just like Aaron when all eyes were on her.

“She likes art,” Robert offered when Liv suddenly became much more interested in playing with the tablecloth rather than Diane’s expectant gaze.

“Well, now, that’s wonderful!” Diane exclaimed, beaming at her. “Drawing is it?”

Liv nodded, giving a quick glare at Robert for opening his mouth, before turning back to Diane. “Yeah… I’ve got a sketch book. I’m taking art at school.”

Vic wasn’t sure what she found more adorable – Liv’s hesitancy or Aaron and Robert’s grins of pride. The sweetest little trio she had ever seen.

“You’ll have to show me it sometime. Maybe you could draw us something for us to hang in the B&B?” Diane suggested, turning to Doug who nodded, though he’d obviously not been paying attention. Liv hid a smile, but Vic could tell she was pleased.  

After that, the conversation turned to work and Adam excitedly told Diane about his and Aaron’s plans to expand in the future. Aaron said very little, his gaze never leaving Robert who was staring intently at his plate of food.

“I’m glad to hear you’re doing well,” Diane said, giving Adam a gentle pat on the arm. He beamed at her before ripping off another mouthful of chicken leg, nodding vigorously as he did so.

“It’s been great. Right, Aaron?”

All eyes turned towards him and he, exactly like his sister, visibly shrunk away from their gaze. “Right. Still getting to grips with it though, we’ve got a way to go...”

“Nonsense. I can see you boys have made a go of things, and I’m proud of you both,” Diane interjected, giving him a fond smile which he accepted with one of his own, relief loosening the tension along his shoulders.

Vic was so busy grinning at how well things were going that she didn’t realise how icy the atmosphere had become further down the table, not until Robert’s knife clattered onto his plate.

“Something to say?” Robert snapped, and Chrissie, who had been busy smirking into her wine glass, suddenly looked up with sharp eyes.

“Pardon?” she replied, tone light and somehow gleeful. Vic swallowed hard, glancing between them and wondering when the Hell it had spiralled downhill so quickly.

“You were smiling,” came Robert’s explanation, now leaning back in his chair a little and giving Chrissie a withering stare. She only smiled wider.

“Am I not allowed to?”

Robert shook his head, breathing heavily through his nose. “It was the _way_ you were smiling.”

“Robert, back off, will you?” Andy cut in, but the warning only seemed to rile Robert further, his shoulders now squaring off as he rolled his eyes. Vic also noticed that Andy’s hand had curled into a fist and she glanced at Adam, silently begging him to step in if things got physical. There was no way she was going to stand back and let her brothers have a fist fight over the table.

“Calm down, Andy, I was just asking.”

Chrissie squeezed Andy’s arm, polished nails glinting against the sun’s glare, and then turned back to Robert. “I know it must come as a shock to you to see me happy, especially considering how relentlessly miserable I was with you, but my fortunes have changed dramatically since being with your brother. I’ve got every reason to smile now.”

Vic could practically hear the taunting in her words. It wasn’t hard to miss. Everyone knew Robert had a chip on his shoulder the size of Yorkshire when it came to Andy being considered ‘better than him’. “Course you do,” he muttered, jaw locked. “Just seemed like you thought something was funny.”

Her eyes went wide and innocent, crossing her right leg over her knee and shrugging. “No, why would I? I’m sure _scrapping_ is a very worthwhile enterprise.”

“Your dad definitely thought so,” Aaron muttered, hand curling around the edge of the table. Vic couldn’t believe this was happening. They’d been having such a lovely time, and now it seemed the carefully controlled civility she had managed to manufacture was crumbling away.

“Well, I think that had more to do with you screwing my husband than any business acumen you may have had,” Chrissie bit back, surprising almost everyone at the table. Apart from Robert who only grinned smugly at the reminder, his arm snaking around Aaron’s waist almost to rub it in her face.

“Chrissie…” Andy murmured, putting a hand on her arm. She turned towards him, that previous sharpness now receding as she looked at him.

“Sorry, darling. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Yeah, you better not have,” Aaron said, just loud enough for those around him to hear.   

“And it’s very inspirational, really,” Chrissie continued, now grinning across the table at Aaron. “Shows that even _criminals_ can make a success of things if they put their minds to it…  Honestly, I’m very impressed.”

“I think that’s enough,” Vic found herself saying, but Aaron put a hand out to stop her.

“No, let her finish. I’m guessing she’s not done yet.”

“Oh, I’ve barely even started with _you_ ,” she hissed, leaning forwards now, her fingers tightly wound around the stem of her wine glass.

“Lay off him,” Robert growled, also leaning forwards and slightly to his left as if to shield Aaron from the onslaught.

“There he is!” Chrissie exclaimed, laughing. “The veritable knight in shining armour! Tell me, are you planning on staging another burglary for Aaron as well, force him into needing you, too? Or does it not work like that, considering he was one of the thugs you hired the last time?”

“I don’t need to prove anything to him,” Robert countered, voice low in his throat.

“Well, then it must be love’s young dream,” she returned, and Vic started to wonder if she was watching a tennis match the amount of serves that were being made. Chrissie held Robert’s gaze for another beat before she slid her attention back to Aaron. She seemed oddly fixated with him all of a sudden. “Until he decides the grass is greener and heads off in search of someone with a bit more money. How’s your bank balance looking, Aaron? Do you genuinely think your measly earnings will be enough to keep him?”

“I think it might be best if you leave.” Diane had her hands on the table, every bit the matriarch Vic had always known her to be, and she felt comforted in the knowledge that they were both on the same page. There was no way she could stomach another moment of Chrissie’s horrible remarks.

“Yeah, let’s go, Chrissie,” Andy murmured into her ear, already pushing his chair back.

“I’ll tell you exactly why I’m with Aaron,” Robert suddenly said, getting to his feet just as Chrissie stood. “Because he never wanted anything from me. He’s happy to take me as I am, never felt the need to change me.”

“Then more fool him, because you’re a complete _bastard_ ,” she hissed.

“And you're poison,” Aaron snarled, pushing his own chair back now as he got to his feet. “Robert’s worth ten of you.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll learn soon enough that anything he’s promised you is all lies. That’s what he does. Worms his way into your life and then destroys it from the inside. A parasite.”

Vic felt her mouth fall open, stunned by the spite in her voice. She had never seen Chrissie so hateful before, and it stung to have such a brutal attack directed at her brother. She almost wanted stand herself but her legs had gone to led, too shocked to move.

“Piss off, Chrissie. This is a family gathering, you shouldn’t even be here,” Robert said, though his voice was weaker now, like he’d been equally as floored by her comments.

“Then what are _they_ doing here?” Chrissie questioned, looking at Aaron and Liv as if they were something she’d happily wipe off her shoe. Vic wanted to smack her across the face.

Robert’s arm immediately tightened around Aaron’s waist and his other hand came to lie firmly on Liv’s shoulder. “They’re family,” he said, not a trace of reluctance or fear to the words. Vic knew he meant them.

Chrissie scoffed, slinging her bag over her shoulder as Andy tried to lead her away. “That’s adorable. Playing _daddy_ again, are we? Another tearaway teenager for you to run after, until you get bored and leave her like you left Lucky. I hope you're used to disappointment, Liv, because there’s no way he cares a _damn_ about you.”

“Don’t you _dare_ talk to her,” Aaron hissed, taking a half-step forwards so his thigh was pressed against the table. Robert placed a tentative hand on his arm to stop him from doing anything more.

“You know it’s the truth, that’s the only reason you’re upset.”

“No, it’s not.” It was Liv, her voice small but aggressive as she pushed her hair back furiously behind her ears.

Chrissie raised an eyebrow, hand on her hip as she attempted to stare Liv down. It didn’t seem to have any effect. God, she was so like her brother, it was almost terrifying.

“Really?”

“Yeah, _really,_ ” Liv almost spat, now rising to her feet as well so that the three of them looked almost like an army. Vic found herself rooting for them without hesitation. “Robert should’ve wanted nothing to do with me. I didn’t make anything easy for him, even tried to split him and Aaron up. But he looked after me, helped me… I’m glad he’s around. He’s nice, unlike _you_.”

“You definitely don’t know him, then.”

“I know enough, thanks. I know I’m not surprised he chose my brother over you, if this is what you’re like. I know he’s better off with me and Aaron than he ever was up at Home Farm. And… I know that we love him,” Liv finished, jaw jutted forwards as she crossed her arms over her chest. Vic wanted to scoop her up into her arms but instead she just smiled proudly, though not half as widely as Robert.

“That answer enough for you?” Aaron said, standing just a little closer to the pair of them as his own smile grew tenfold. Chrissie glared at them all while she was tugged away by Andy who was mumbling embarrassed apologies towards Diane and Vic. Neither said anything, too ashamed themselves of the entire debacle.

They all watched as Chrissie was lead away by an irate Andy, the two of them already rowing before they’d reached Chrissie’s car. Vic scowled after them, wondering again why Andy was still with her when it was more than obvious to everyone else she was only with him to get back at Robert. Today just proved that.

“Well… here was me thinking we’d just have a quiet lunch,” Diane said after some moments spent in silence.

“Sorry, Diane. I shouldn’t have let her get to me,” Robert replied quietly, dropping back into his chair as Aaron and Liv did the same.

Diane sighed and shook her head. “I don’t blame you, love. None of that was you.”

Vic saw the surprise register on Robert’s face and gave him a smile to show she shared Diane’s opinion. He visibly relaxed, letting his arm drape around the back of Aaron’s chair.

“I couldn’t have her bad-mouthing Aaron-”

“You made the right call, mate. I was about to do the same thing if you hadn’t stepped in,” Adam said, leaning back in his chair so he could pat Robert firmly on the back.

“Still, looked like none of us did need to step in. I’m not sure I’d want to go up against either one of you, nevermind all three together,” Vic commented, giving them a sly wink as she grinned. Aaron looked at Robert and Liv and then let out a relieved laugh.

“She looked like she was bricking it when Liv stood up,” he said, ruffling his little sister’s hair which Liv immediately tried to duck away from.

“Yeah, well, as if I was gonna let her talk about the two of you like that,” she grumbled, still glaring at her brother as she tried to flatten the bird’s nest he’d managed to create. He only laughed harder, leaning a little into Robert who immediately stretched back in his chair so Aaron could tuck himself against his side. _Two jigsaw pieces_ , Vic thought approvingly, watching them share a look which apparently needed no words attached to it.

“Right, well I don’t know about you lot, but I’m still starving and there’s enough food here to feed the five thousand, so I say we get stuck in?” Diane said, already picking up her knife and fork and giving them each a look in turn which said: _no arguments_. They all pulled in their chairs obediently, none of them wanting to go against her, especially now.

They transitioned back into small talk, a little stilted from the residual tension but easing into something more comfortable as the memories of what Chrissie had said dissipated. Vic couldn’t take her eyes off her brother, who was staying remarkably silent until the chatter grew a little louder, then he leaned a little to his right and nudged Liv’s arm with his elbow. She turned, furrowing her brows in confusion.

“Thank you. For having my back.”

She registered the words, eyes widening momentarily before she shrugged, picking a bread roll apart before flashing him the barest trace of a smile. “Family, right? That’s what we do.”

And all Vic could do was smile, overwhelmed with both pride and relief because that, as Liv had so accurately put it, was exactly what true family did. And she was so beyond grateful that Robert had others now who loved him so fiercely that they were willing to put themselves in the line of fire just to protect him. It’s all she’d ever wanted for him, and the look of pure happiness on his face was proof enough that he thoroughly deserved his ramshackle, dysfunctional little family. And they deserved him, too.  


End file.
